Theirs was an “instant friendship” that “has endured, grown, and been cherished by us both” for 28 years, says Shannen Doherty, who shared an emotional tribute on Instagram yesterday, after the loss of her friend, Deborah Waknin-Harnan. “I hope you are dancing on tables again, having a tequila and shooting the shit with God. I will miss you forever.”
RELATED: Shannen Doherty's Sisterhood Rallies Around Her Following Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Read MoreThe Cancer Bond: “We Were Sisters”
“We were together thru boyfriends and husbands. Divorces, tears and laughter … I was her maid of honor at her wedding to the love of her life Craig. We cried when she called to tell me she was pregnant with her extraordinary daughter Olivia,” Doherty wrote. RELATED: Sisterhood of Support Shannon Doherty, Selma Blair & Sarah Michelle Gellar Together During Cancer, MS, and Life“She was a constant,” Doherty continued. “Thru my cancer and I for her when she got diagnosed 4 years ago. She smiled, a lot. She radiated beauty, intelligence and goodness. She was and is wedged into my heart so deeply. We were more than best friends. We were sisters.”
Amy Grantham says cancer is "the great revealer," saying she learned who her friends were and who they weren't
How Cancer Can Reveal Who Your Friends Are
Many cancer survivors say that a diagnosis can reveal who your true friends are. “I very quickly learned who was really there in my life and who was just kind of on the outskirts of it when it was good for them or convenient for them,” survivor, Amy Grantham told SurvivorNet. “And it cut right through to the people that are most important in my life. Every single person that I’ve talked to and that I know who had cancer says the exact same thing … it really shows you who your true-blue friends are that are around you and who the bullshitters are.”
Clearly, Doherty’s relationship with Waknin-Harwin fell into the true-blue category: “I will miss you forever, your advice, your laughter, your frankness. I will so miss you. I already do. I already feel it, this part of my heart missing. Deborah Waknin Harwin I love you.”
Finding a Support Network During Your Cancer Journey
For those who feel adrift during cancer treatment, a support group can provide much-needed comfort. The National Cancer Institute provides resources for connecting with a group that is right for you.
And in this era of social-distancing due to the coronavirus outbreak, many support groups have shifted online, offering connection through social media or meeting by tele-conference.
RELATED: Coronavirus Guide For Cancer Patients
For anyone feeling isolated while facing cancer treatment, now is a good time to explore support resources to find a good fit.
RELATED VIDEO: Bianca Muniz admits she lost some friends after her second cancer diagnosis but found support through The Breasties.
Shannen Doherty's Cancer Journey
In 2015, Doherty found a lump in her breast that a biopsy determined was cancerous. She initially tried to fight the disease through hormone therapy but the cancer spread to her lymph nodes. A year after her diagnosis, she had a single mastectomy and underwent courses of chemotherapy and radiation followed by reconstructive surgery.
She received her new diagnosis stage 4 about a year ago, keeping the news private as she worked on filming the "90210" reboot (since canceled) leaning on castmates, such as Brian Austin Green, she said.
Doherty went public with her stage 4 diagnosis in an interview with ABC's Amy Robach, herself a breast cancer survivor on Feb. 4, 2020. "I definitely have days where I say, 'Why me?' she told Robach. “And then I go, 'Well, why not me? Who else? Who else besides me deserves this?'" Doherty said. "None of us do."
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